Navy corpsmen anxiously waited for the blood flowing from Lance Cpl. Meng Lu's arm to fill the bag near his feet.

Marines here are making big moves for the future of Afghanistan.

Marines with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, are leaving the place they've called home for the past two months to head to Camp Leatherneck, the main base of operations for Marines in Helmand province.

It's common in Afghan culture for men to refrain from talking to women they aren't related to.

Marines with Police Advisor Team 2, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, conducted a partnered patrol with the Afghan National Police, May 2.

At the front lines in Helmand province, a man and his best friend keep watch over the Marines protecting the Kajaki Dam.

After the sun came up, all hell broke loose.

"Shana ba shana" is a Dari saying that Sgt. Christopher Scott has heard since he arrived here in December 2011. The saying translates to shoulder-to-shoulder. Afghan forces say it's a way to describe someone's work ethic and shows the effort they put in with others.

A patrol leader with the Afghan Uniformed Police here said his message against growing poppy is reaching farmers. In return, farmers are sealing their compliance with handshakes and understanding.

Sailors with shock trauma platoon, 1st Maintenance Battalion (-) Reinforced, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), provided life-saving care to an Afghan man who was stabbed in the abdomen by a thief, April 6.

As Marine forces in Helmand province shift into an advisory role and the capabilities and responsibilities of Afghan National Security Forces continue to grow, the people of southern Helmand are reaping the benefits.

A medic places the last bandage on an Afghan soldier. He shouts commands to the soldiers next to him, and they respond, gripping the four corners of the stretcher. Together they carry their injured brother to cover behind a truck.

The men and women who have earned the title of Marine share a unique history and tradition only found in the Corps. In some cases, this history and tradition is shared by generations of Marines from the same family.

Establishing a strong relationship with the local population is critical to any successful counterinsurgency operation.

Sgt. Gregory Phipps, sergeant of the guard for Headquarters and Service Company Guard Forces, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, speaks a few words into his radio. Less than two minutes later, a group of Marines in full combat gear are standing outside his office prepared to respond to any threat to their camp.

Without the Marine's watchful eyes and his dog's trained nose, the round metal container packed with 40 pounds of homemade explosives could have wreaked destruction on their patrol.

U.S. Marines are well versed in adapting to the ever changing environment inherent to counterinsurgency operations in southern Helmand province.

Marines with the Embedded Training Team of Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, took time off from their everyday routine to bond with their Afghan National Army counterparts here, March 23, 2012.

Soldiers of Weapons Tolai, 3rd Kandak, 215th Corps worked with the Marines of the Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, to set up a vehicle check point in Marjah, March 22.

When Maj. Joseph R. Jackson arrived here in October 2011, the bazaar was almost completely abandoned. More than 400 stalls lay empty except for a lone bakery supplying bread to the Afghan Uniformed Police and local nationals. Since then, businesses have began opening in the bazaar as Kajaki residents felt safe and optimistic enough to return for the first time since 2006.

The Marines here guard the northeastern frontier in Helmand province. Beyond the boundary of the observation post lies known enemy territory, where insurgent fighters have taken refuge. Farmland and abandoned compounds surround the post. Insurgents sporadically shoot machine gun bursts and launch attacks against the Marines from many different positions, and when the Marines fight back, the enemy forces flee into dry riverbeds deep enough to conceal most movement. For the past four months, the Marines of Golf Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment repelled dozens of attacks and kept enemy forces from moving forward.

Marine advisors with Police Advisory Team 1, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, frequently visit the Afghan Uniformed Police district headquarters here. Before entering the compound, the Marines leave their body armor and helmets in the vehicles outside as a gesture of trust that the Afghan police secured the area, and the Marines would not need their body armor around their counterparts.

Team 2, Civil Affairs Detachment 11.2, 11th Marine Regiment, is responsible for many projects throughout the city of Marjah. The team contracts construction projects to local Afghan companies to help improve the economy and quality of life in Marjah.